The shippbuilding industry is going through a complex scenario, where your main plaintiff, the oil and gas industry, is in the midst of a whirlwind of events ranging from the substantial drop in oil prices to the unfolding of Operation Car Wash, according to the oil, gas and maritime manager of FIRJAN, Karine Fragoso (photo). Thus, to overcome this situation and reheat the shipbuilding industry, the Industry Federation of the State of Rio de Janeiro adopted some measures.

According to Karine, this market downturn eventually reduce the number of sector orders, which paralyzed a number of companies in the production chain, including shipyards. "In Brazil, particularly in Rio de Janeiro, the shipping industry is highly dependent on the demands of the offshore market. With significant drops in orders in the sector and the declining number of jobs, today we have seen is the need for repositioning the industry, shifting their focus to a higher performance with repair and maintenance services, "she says.

For her, since the offshore industry is with their concentrated efforts more in OPEX (Operation Expenditure - Capital used to keep a company) than in CAPEX (Capital Expenditure - amount allocated for investment) and the useful life of the vessels is being extended , to operate in extreme conditions and under strict safety standards, it makes sense for the industry to change its direction. "Another challenge is related to logistics issues and dredging of ports to give speed to the loading and unloading processes as well as customs, for example. With the cuts in the budgets of federal institutions such as the Navy of Brazil, there is still that evaluating a business model that includes the participation of the private sector in the projects of these institutions, "she adds.

To overcome these challenges, the FIRJAN System, which will be one of the partner organizations in achieving the Shipbuilding Leaders Forum - which takes place in September during the 13th Marintec South America - has been developing a series of initiatives, that to take effect must be performed in a coordinated manner with the involvement of all stakeholders.

In May, for example, the entity held the French-Brazilian Naval Seminar in partnership with the Navy, which brought together the main actors of both countries to discuss the industry segment trends and present projects to partnerships. "It is worth highlighting the SENAI's actions to the development of specific manpower training programs, with the Training Center SENAI Barreto, located in Niterói, dedicated to the naval sector. In addition, last year, during Marintec 2015 we launched the mapping of Shipbuilding Industry, which were proposed 20 projects to be implemented in conjunction with the players in this sector, such as the development and implementation of the Sea Economic Development Committee (CODEMAR) and the promotion of technical and commercial exchanges, "says the manager of FIRJAN System.

On the other hand, Karine points out that the sector's recovery, in fact, must occur in the medium and long term. "For us, the goal is that the state of Rio de Janeiro in 2020, is again reference as a center of excellence in engineering, construction, ship repair and offshore support, empowered to construction and integration modules, because the birthplace of this industry is here. Even today, over 50% of the sector's activities are concentrated in this region, "she concludes.